Murphy's Romance

Newly divorced Emma Moriarty (Sally Field) moves herself and her young son to a small Arizona town, hoping to establish a horse farm. Town pharmacist Murphy Jones (James Garner), the town's most eligible bachelor, develops a platonic friendship with Emma, but he decides to keep his distance when her ...more

This pleasing romantic comedy was surprisingly light fare from director Martin Ritt. Though it contains little evidence of the social commentary of such Ritt productions as The Great White Hope or The Front, Murphy is set in the director's favorite milieu: rural America. The film's unhurried pace and genuine performances successfully capture the feel of bucolic, small-town life. James Garner earned his first Oscar nomination for a typically good-humored turn as the title character. Sally Field, ...more